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Hear from Victoria’s Health Complaints watchdog

Posted 27 April 2017

Dodgy health providers can now be named, shamed and banned in Victoria – good news for VHA members who cite governance as one of the most important issues on their agenda.

Victoria's first Health Complaints Commissioner Karen Cusack, previously the Royal Women's Hospital lawyer, will be a special guest speaker at the VHA Governance conference Managing the Minefield on Thursday 18 May.

For the first time, the commissioner can take complaints about health services from anyone - not just patients - and can investigate without receiving a complaint.

The new role replaced the Health Services Commissioner, and comes with broader responsibilities to protect the public.

The commissioner operates under the new Health Complaints Act, which broadens the definition of a health provider to any practitioner engaged in assessing or improving a person's health.

She can also ban unregistered practitioners from treating patients and issue public warnings if her office believes a health provider poses a serious danger to the public, even before an investigation has been finalised.

Former Federal Health Minister and chair of the Cancel Council Nicola Roxon will be keynote speaker for the one-day conference at NAB @ The Village 700 Bourke Street.

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